1. Reflections – Gospel

Based on a chapter called the Final Judgement in Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini’ s book “Piccolo Manuale della Speranza – Vivere con Fiducia il Nostro Tempo” [A Small manual of Hope – Living our lives in Trust]. Giunti Editore S.p.A. Milano, 2012.

All biblical quotations are from ‘The Jerusalem Bible’, Darton, Longman & Todd, London, 1966.

“’The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News’”. (Mk 1,15)*

The first key word in a Christian’s life is Gospel. What does this word that Jesus asks us to believe in mean?

Usually, the word gospel refers to the set of four gospels or to one of them. The four gospels form part of much bigger book – the bible – that include the sacred text of the Jewish people and the sacred writings of Christianity.

However, here the term gospel does not refer to the books that contain the Gospel. It refers to a primary experience, of a singular and absolute importance that we cannot ignore.

The word Gospel comes from the Greek word euangélion, that means “good news”. The Christian experience is primarily the experience of glad tidings, of good news.

Often, when we think of Christianity the first things that come to mind are duties, punishments, threats, precepts, remorse. This is a mistake.

The Christian experience is essentially an experience of good news, unexpected, nearly incredible in its ability of revealing to us new things and to change us.

It is an experience of great joy and happiness.

So, what is this good news? It is difficult to explain it in a few words. Since it is an announcement by God to man, it evidently includes all human realty! It can be expressed in this way: God reaches out to man to offer him His friendship. If we have the correct concept of God, of the gulf between God and man, it would appear amazing that God reaches out to each man and woman in this world to offer His friendship. However, this is the marvellous meaning of “Gospel”.

It is a friendship offered by God that ignores man’s lack of merit, man’s goodness, or his wickedness. God is not only interested in good people.

On the contrary, “Gospel” means that God is interested more in those who are far away from Him, in those who are lonely, emarginated, bitter, sad, lost, discouraged, those who feel they do not have a future. God offers his friendship above all to those who are furthest away from Him and from themselves, to those who are suffering most in their life.

 The Gospel’s message is quite different than mere liberal or conservative positions, in fact it is often even at odds with them. Most of liberalism is based on a secular foundation of knowledge, and most of conservatism is identified with boundary-keeping, order, and control. In contrast, the Gospel is rooted in a contemplative way of knowing—a way of being in the world that is utterly free and grounded in the compassion of God.

The basic experience of Christianity does not depend on something that we do, like forcing ourselves to be good, or to become better people, or to reach out to God. The fundamental truth is that it is God’s initiative that saves us.

In fact, in the bible in all painful situations that His people found themselves in, we find expressions like “God has remembered us”, sowing hope in their hearts by offering them his salvation.

Thus, the Gospel needs to be accepted thankfully and with gratitude.

We wish to express our gratitude with a selection of some lines from psalm number 136[135]**.

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good,

his love is everlasting!

Give thanks to the God of gods,

his love is everlasting!

He remembered us when we were down,

his love is everlasting!

He provides for all living creatures,

his love is everlasting!

These are the words with which man express his gratitude to God for his gift of remembering us and reaching out to us in our helplessness and our suffering.

Mk 1,15 means Mark, chapter 1, line 15.

** There are 150 psalms, numbered from 1 to 150. Regrettably, the Jewish and Christians numbering systems differ from psalm 9 onwards. This is because some psalms are merged in one system and not in the other. That is why you will see 2 numbers for each quoted psalm with a number higher than 9.